Before the heat of the day in the UK's fourth heat wave, I headed to the New Forest for a couple of species. First, to Dibden Bottom where up to three male Black Darter showed well. And then to Denny Wood where Woodland Grasshopper was soon found and then to Matley Bog where Bog Bush-Cricket and Large Marsh Grasshopper showed amongst the quaking Sphagnum bog - the latter giving their distinctive but insignificant clicking stridulation.
After my trip to Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo I returned to the UK itching to head out for my final regularly breeding butterfly in Hampshire. And so On 8th August I headed to Stockbridge Down and walked from the eastern car park up slope to the rampart and then across the open downland. It was not until I was in the open downland where there was a high abundance of flowering Scabious that I encountered my first Silver-spotted Skipper eventually seeing around four individuals.
With one full day left before my trip to Indonesia I had planned to go to Shipton Bellinger for two of the last three Hampshire butterflies I needed for my year list, but, in the event the morning was overcast, windy and with occasional heavy downpours and I had allbut scrapped the idea. At 11:00 some brighter spells began to develop and so I decided to try my luck but as I headed northwards through heavy rain and flooded roads I was not hopeful. On arrival though the clouds broke and the sun appeared and I was slightly more optimistic as I headed along the Shipton Road Byway extending west from the village. It was not long before I set eyes upon my first target, Wall, of which I eventually saw around eight individuals. The tree tops were blowing around in the wind and I was not hopeful of seeing Brown Hairstreak but then I glimpsed a small butterfly flying around the top of a Hawthorn, I lost it a few times and then saw it settle, and there it was, a stunning little Brown Hairstreak.
With recent reports of up to six Norfolk Hawker at Titchfield Haven I needed to see this species as it was clearly breeding on site with a female being seen ovipositing. It was a species to add to the list of Hampshire breeding species and hence needed to be seen in my quest to seee all the Hampshire breeding dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies this year. It took me three attempts before I finally connected with a stunning, recently emerged male on Darters Dip on the west side of the reserve. He showed superbly well for around 45 minutes before disappearing flying away from the pool. A rather scruffy looking female was also seen. Other new species for the year here were Ruddy Darter and Willow Emerald, the latter also a new species for me.
After a bird survey in Dorchester i made a couple of stops in Dorchester for some invertebrate species I had not seen before. First was at Silverlake, Crossways where last year Scarlet Darter bred, this year there have been counts of up to 20 individuals and so I was fairly confident of encountering this stunning species. My first wander of the lake produced a male Lesser Emperor, a relatively regular migrant that I had also not seen before in the UK. The second circuit of the pond produced a Red-veined Darter, a species I had seen once before in the UK. The third circuit produced the target species, a stunning male Scarlet Darter warming itself it is characteristic vertical posture, but not just one, at least four individuals.
